MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Martial Arts/Stars: Bruce Lee, John Saxon, Jim Kelly, Ahna Capri, Shih Kien, Bob Wall, Angela Mao Ying, Betty Chung, Geoffrey Weeks, Yang Sze, Peter Archer, Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Yuen Wah/Runtime: 102 minutes

I think it can safely be said that, for a lot of the genres of movie magic out there in the world among us, there is usually at least one actor/actress who definitely represents that genre to the point that whenever you think of that genre you also immediately think of them. Indeed perhaps this is why the name “Sean Connery” immediately makes one think of “spy movies”, “Tom Cruise” has one think of “jaw-dropping action flicks”, “Hugh Grant” still for many people (despite his displeasure I’m sure) reminds them of the “90s rom-com”, and Chuck Norris immediately reminds people about the joys of the walking meme genre….oh and Walker, Texas Ranger. All jokes aside though dear reader, there is no denying that for the martial arts genre the one name that should immediately come to mind should be that of the late yet great Bruce Lee. To be fair, you could definitely say “Jackie Chan”, but you see dear reader Jackie Chan has always been more than a great martial artist in my mind. Rather, and in my opinion mind you, Chan has long been one of cinema’s most gifted entertainers since, in addition to his martial arts skill, he also has managed to showcase tremendous talents for physical comedy, genuine drama, and even singing/dancing as well. Lee on the other hand was a straightforward martial arts master pure and simple and in every minute of footage that was ever shot of this legend that’s exactly what he gave audiences. Out of all that however, I feel that perhaps the most definitive proof of Lee’s skill as a martial arts icon can be found in a movie from 1973, and slice of cinema I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, known as Enter the Dragon. A movie that, among other attributes, has become nothing short of iconic due to the fact that this would prove to be Bruce Lee’s final completed cinematic project before his tragic and untimely death at the age of 32. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt by any means that this slice of cinema is most assuredly a bonafide masterpiece in every sense of the word. To be sure, it might not be a perfect movie in any sense of the word due to some elements that are very much reflective of the era in which it was made and subsequently first released. Even with that in mind however, there is no denying that with the aid of potent work both behind and especially in front of the camera Enter the Dragon is more than just a phenomenally engaging slice of cinema. Rather, it is also no less than an (albeit unexpectedly) fitting final curtain call for a legend of a man who was and always will be an icon of his chosen profession.

The plot is as follows: Taking us to the iconic locale of Hong Kong, Enter the Dragon gets its electrifying narrative underway by introducing us to our main character by the name of Mr. Lee. Lee, we quickly learn, is a highly skilled member of that distinct community known as martial artists. A fact that he not only showcases for us within the first 20 minutes of the movie, but which is the reason why he is also is being sought for a meeting by a member of (what I am assuming to be) British Intelligence known as Mr. Braithwaite. A meeting which soon reveals that Braithwaite, and the intelligence community at large apparently, have long been trying to nail a guy named Han for both heroin smuggling and prostitution, but have yet to come up with any solid evidence to link him to the crimes in question. However, due to being invited by Han to his island home for a martial arts tournament, Braithwaite feels that our hero could be in a rather distinct position to assist in this endeavor and finally crack the case wide open for them so that Han can finally be brought to justice for his crimes. Thus, despite his own internal reservations about attending the tournament in the first place, we see that our intrepid hero decides to go and covertly assist in the investigation. Along with our hero Lee however, we are also introduced to two other men that we will be following throughout this rather distinct cinematic journey. The first is a smooth talking and also skilled in martial arts yet very much a hopeless gambling addict by the name of Roper who, we soon learn, has made his way to this tournament in a desperate attempt to hide out from the Mob due to beating up some of their enforcers when they came to collect. The second is a guy by the name of Williams who, besides having known Roper since the two were in Vietnam together, is also very much in hiding as well. The key difference though is that whereas Roper is in hiding from the Mob, Williams is in hiding from the law because of what he had to do when heckled by some cops following a meeting with his sensei back in the States. Thus, with the players in our little cinematic game established and the stage having been set can our dynamic trio find whatever it is they are all individually looking for in this pulse-pounding tournament or will the ominous Han and his minions wind up getting the best of each and every one of them? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader……

Now right off, it is worth noting that the work done behind the camera on this film is really freaking good. To be sure, the plot whilst intriguing is most definitely nothing to write home about in regards to its level of creativity let alone novelty. As a result, not only can you figure out where every character in this is going to wind up by the end of this film, but you also have a fairly good idea as to how the movie itself is going to end as well. Having said that though, there is no denying that the rest of the behind the camera work definitely does do its part to make up for that. This starts with the downright engaging work done by this film’s choreography department with particular regard to how they manage to handle the fight scenes which, in a word, are absolutely electric. I mean you have to understand dear reader: this movie was filmed in 1973. A period of time where, among other things, engaging in the kind of action beats that this film manages to possess in abundance didn’t always involve stunt doubles or even safety nets and wires to keep those engaged in them safe should something go wrong. Instead, this was a time period where those who participated in these literally found themselves putting their physical wellbeing on the line in order to engage in the stunts that they did let alone to get the best shots for the camera possible. Perhaps this is why in this movie we see that not only do the moments of martial arts action still manage to elicit a sense of respect and awe on the part of this reviewer and others, but also why every single punch or kick gives off the vibe of being as real as possible. To be sure, you will without question find yourself smiling a bit at the very over the top sound effects thrown in whenever a move is engaged in, but at the same time please do not let that deter your sense of awe at the genuinely impressive fighting technique put on display for us as movie goers throughout this film’s 102-minute, including credits, runtime. We also see that this slice of cinema is blessed with a fantastic jazz musical accompaniment from noted composer Lalo Schifrin (the Mission: Impossible TV show theme, 1967’s Cool Hand Luke, 1968’s Bullitt, 1970’s Kelly’s Heroes, 3 of the Dirty Harry movies, and the Rush Hour movies among other iconic entries) that manages to be both very much in synch with the 70s and yet still quite listenable even 5 solid decades later. Of course, I would be very much amiss if I didn’t take some time to focus on the top-notch effort done by Robert Clouse in the director’s chair. Indeed be it his way of giving audiences a fairly steady stream of consistently engaging action beats or by making the most out of every scene, I think it can definitely be said that Clouse’s work here is wonderful proof of what it looks like when a genre-specific director showcases he deserves a chance to handle something that is a bit more of a challenge for them. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in efficient work from film editors Kurt Hirschler and George Watters as well as intriguing, but also very Fu Manchu-stylized, work from both James Wong Sun and Louis Sheng in the art direction and costuming departments respectively it’s clear as crystal that the teams behind the camera do a grand job here at bringing the world of the film vividly to life.

Of course, the other big element that helps bring this slice of cinema as vividly to life as it manages to be would undoubtedly have to be the work done by the extremely talented cast of players in front of the camera. This starts with easily the key element that is perhaps the main thing that is responsible for this film being viewed as a benchmark in its respective genre and that would be the lead performance given by Bruce Lee who, as he always was, proves to be a genuine blast to watch. Indeed Lee manages to make for a screen presence that is not only riveting right off the bat, but is also one that gives off the vibe of being in complete control at all times. Suffice it to say that as an actor Lee always brought his best, but in terms of his martial arts craft he was nothing less than a sorcerer and this is the role that managed to show that and so much more. Alongside the nothing short of iconic work done in this slice of cinema by Bruce Lee, this film also gives movie goers a pair of wonderful support performances from John Saxon and Jim Kelly as Roper and Williams respectively. Indeed in regards to the former, we see that Saxon does a great job at playing this guy who definitely happens to be quite a bit of a gambler to say nothing of someone who enjoys some female company, but who also has a wonderful degree of honor and decency to him as well. That and when the movie calls for him to take part in the action, Saxon actually manages to prove himself more than up for the challenge. As for the latter, we see that Kelly manages to bring both a degree of coolness and a compelling personality to such an extent that he manages to steal every single scene that he is given even if his screentime is a bit more limited than others in the cast for reasons that I shan’t spoil here. Besides this trio though, this film also has a top-tier effort from Shih Kien in the role of the chief antagonist Han. Yes, the voice dubbing on his character might be a bit on the wonky side at times, but there is also no denying that Kien manages to do a wonderful job at playing this character with just the right degrees of cleverness and ruthlessness to say nothing of physicality in the fight scenes that he gets especially his one on one with Lee near film’s end that is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Suffice it to say that when you also throw into the mix some fairly good performances from such screen talents as Bob Wall, Angela Mao Ying, Betty Chung, Geoffrey Weeks, Yang Sze, Peter Archer, and an uncredited turn here from equally as iconic martial artist Jackie Chan among others it’s clear that there might be some parts of this film that might not have fully aged as well as the rest, but one element that I have no doubt will be able to stand the test of time now and always is the work done by this cast of talent.

All in all and at the end of the day, there is no denying that, a few miniscule issues aside, Enter the Dragon is a bonafide masterpiece in every sense of the word. Indeed the martial arts beats are taut and riveting, the rest of the work done behind the camera is nothing short of magnificent, and the cast of players in front of the camera (even in the face of dubbing that definitely needs a wee bit of tinkering with) all manage to give at best phenomenal and at worst really good performances even if you can guess where quite a few of their respective arcs will take them to by film’s end. Suffice it to say then dear reader that Enter the Dragon is more than just one of the best martial arts slices of cinema ever made to say nothing of one of the finest movies that the decade known as the 1970s was able to provide movie goers with. Rather, it is also an enthralling and on-point swan song for one of the most iconic talents of his (or any if we are being completely honest) generation. I mean don’t get me wrong dear reader: there is no denying that Bruce Lee was a phenomenal talent. With this slice of cinema however, not only do we get proof of that, but we also get something else. Rather, we also get a tragic yet powerful reminder of the fact that if all that we as movie goers could have gotten from him in the years following his untimely demise as well was of the caliber of excellence that this slice of cinema was then I have no doubt that we could have seen a truly special career unlike any other. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Enter the Dragon “73” a solid 4.5 out of 5.